Answering Thoreau

....“Who knows which way the wind will blow tomorrow?”

No longer ambivalent, 

muscular winds

swept blue the sky, 

rainclouds pushed to the mountains

an opening for the sun and 

the brave taking advantage of 

fierce direction of invisible currents 

against immovable land.

Bird, man and kites have ridden high, wide and wet today.

“Throw caution to the wind and just do it.”

~ Carrie Underwood

A Windy Day

Stillness passed the night quietly

Cold rain fell steadily in grey morning

Back alley asphalt puddled and dark

Ambivalent wind pushed clouds in circling gusts, with blue sky gaining space in early afternoon

despite the skyward tug of war.

To Flying Otter restaurant for lunch with a friend.

A fitting name on such a windy day, 

the restaurant edged a marina with boats anchored securely.

Warm sunshine poured through porch’s bright windows

blustery gale splashed cold drops up and over onto diners

Deep water rolled resting boats indelicately

Walking through downtown, blue sky reigned

sun shone atop sidewalk, street and buildings

while the wind raced frantically down asphalt corridors.

Home in the quiet warmth of my office

cloudy darkness fell in front of the sun

angry wind raged and shook the house.

Torrents of rain lashed slatted windows

Whistling wind not far behind

Back alley asphalt puddled and dark.

“How many things are now at loose ends!

Who knows which way the wind will blow tomorrow?”

~ Henry David Thoreau

The Sound of Stillness

Gauzy grey clouds in early evening drift.

Lone wind-chime tings and falls silent.

Eaves drip.

Distant traffic fades.

“The greatest revelation is stillness.”

~ Lao Tzu

Blank Potential

Blanks

wide open spaces reflect light

gauzy clouds float in azure sky

Blanks

'twixt major and minor notes

spoken by fingers and connected by air

Blanks

perfect pauses between words

breathing belief into meaning

Blanks

a waiting canvas, open 

to brush strokes of colour, picture and life.

“A blank page is no empty space.  It is brimming with potential...

It is a masterpiece in waiting -- yours.”

~ A.A. Patawaran, 

Write Here Write Now: Standing at Attention Before My Imaginary Style Dictator

Letter to Doc

Dear Doc,

How are you? It’s been quite some time since you’ve heard from me, however I assure you that I have not forgotten either you or your small team. The three of you have been so patient with me as I put your story aside while I have developed other pieces of writing. When did I start your story? It would have been about 2006 or 2007. Many things that I have written have been about recovery from active addiction, but I have never mentioned the Medical Mobile Detox Service. There are so many stories I have written about what you encounter on the team’s travels, with you as the center, to the communities on your route out of the city. 

Any changes in your funding or routes, or other details of this Mobile Detox service have not yet been divulged to me. When I am back to writing about it again, I’m sure that ‘more will be revealed’. (I couldn’t resist a little quote from Bill W. which I know you enjoy.) I do hope that I can locate all the stories in my binders by my desk. I may not remember the actual words, but I do remember the wonderful characters that have peopled your world.

One writing project I have taken on is a blog.You know, similar to the one that you, Rod and Becky do for the M.M.D.S. higher ups. My blog is much less detailed and requires fewer clinical words. As I write this letter to you, it has occurred to me that the vignettes you are part of could be blog topics once a month for this timid author. My plan is possibly to use one of those stories as my blog post at the end of each month. What do you think?

I hope that this letter finds all of you well and that you have been safe in your travels.  

Hi to Rod and Becky.

Take good care all of you,

Susan

“The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion,

someplace, in the air.  All I must do is find it, and copy it.”

~ Jules Renard, “Diary”, February 1895

Reposting: Spontaneity

This is a repost from 2013. I have had only this one entry for spontaneity. There will be another post this evening, but I quite like this………

Spontaneity

A gust of wind

rustling leaves in trees

cobwebs and clouds blow away

Sudden sunshine 

brightening a dark patch of earth

opens blossoms ready for show

A bright butterfly 

flutters flower to flower 

drawing in life giving nectar

A flight of fancy

rides high above skies full of cloud

currents of heavy thought

Spirit’s gentle suggestion ~

step forward, open your hands, breathe deeply

and welcome your self into a colourful life.

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. 

Don’t resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality, 

let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”

~ Lao Tzu

A New Pair of Boots

Far away memories of 

plain, black, serviceable

rubber boots wading through 

grassy frigid water filled ditches

cold deep mud puddles

slushy spring thaw snow

Strange.....

slowly slipping my feet in and out 

of new beautiful boots

trips a memory switch,

cracks open old fear ~

“Thick grey mud pressed 

in on my black rubber boots

protecting tiny socked feet

from cold wet mud.”

I’m a big girl now ~

kindly and with a smile

walking in my muddy garden

I am safe in my new pair of boots.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us

are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.